Apparatus for automatically sewing patch pockets onto garments

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine for sewing patch pockets onto garments and comprising a pocket clamping and folding device correlated with a guide system for moving the clamping device relative to the machine needle. The clamping device includes a plurality of pocket forming blades all actuated by a single drive means.

Unite States Ptent Perlino 1451 June 6, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY [56] References Cited SEWING PATCH POCKETS ONTO GARMENTS UN1TED STATES PATENTS 3,552,336 1/1971 Brandriffet a1 ..112/121.15 [72] Invent Suva 3,528,378 9/1970 Westhoffet al ....112/121.15 [73] Assignee: Necchi S.p.A., Pavia, Italy 3,483,834 12/1969 Bennison ..1 12/121 15 [22] Filed: July 1970 Primary Examiner-James R. Boler [2 l] APPL 54,723 AttorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A sewing machine for sewing patch pockets onto garments July 21, and comprising a pocket clamping and device corre.

lated with a guide system for moving the clamping device rela- [52] US. Cl ..l12/121.l2, 223/38 fi to the machine needle The clamping device includes a [51] Int.Cl. ..D05b 21/00 plurality f pocket f i blades 1 actuated by a single 58 FieldofSearch ..112/121.11,121.12,121.15, drivemeans 4 Claims, 8 Drawing figures PATENTEDJun 6 I972 3, 667, 41 l sneer 1 0F 6 INVENTOR SILVANO PERLINO myw'wfm ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJuu s 1922 3. 667.41 1

FIG. 7

PATENTEDJun 5 I972 SHEET 8 [IF 6 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEWING PATCH POCKE'IS ONTO o the present invention refers to an apparatus for automatically sewing patch pockets onto shirt fronts or other similar garments.

There are known in the art apparatus of the type whereby a previous pocket edge folding operation is executed at a different work location, distant from the sewing station, and more recent types of apparatus, in which both the preliminary edge folding and sewing operations are executed at the sewing station, these two operations constituting successive phases of the same operating cycle.

. It is an object of the present invention to improve an apparatus of the second type mentioned.

Particularly such improvements refer to the actuating means for the two series of blades pre-arranged to form the fold edges of the pocket.

Further improvements and features of the apparatus will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment referred to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows, a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show detailed views of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in two different operating phases;

FIG. 4 is another detail view of the apparatus of FIGS. 2 and FIG. 5 is another detail of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are electrical layouts for driving and controlling the apparatus of this invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a pneumatic system comprising pneumatic actuating and control members for the present invention. The apparatus herein disclosed is used for sewing straight sided patch pockets onto shirt fronts, said patch pockets having symmetrical smooth sides on the lower part of the pocket. The sewing of patch pockets of other shapes onto other types of clothing by apparatus differing from the one described hereinafter as to obvious modifications is also to be considered as forming part of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a mounting table 10 of-the sewing machine 1 1 a patch pocket clamping and folding device generally indicated by 12, a magnetic template 13 suitable to guide, in a known way, said device 12, according to a determined path relative to needle 14 of said sewing machine 11. A control panel 15 is located on the front portion of the table and an opening 16 is provided to allow inspection of the lower part of the machine. In the lower part of the table two treadles 17 and 18 are provided and their functions will be described hereinafter. Device 12 and magnetic template 13 are positioned within suitable openings 19 and 20 respectively provided in the upper part of table 10. The clamping and folding device 12 of the patch pocket is rigidly connected, by means of connecting rod 21 (FIG. 4), with a spaced rails system (not shown in the drawings but amply described in our previous Italian Pat. No. 685,366), operatively connected with shaft 22 rolling along walls 23 of template 13. A plate 24 of said device, suitable to support fabric on which a patch pocket is to be sewn, is rigidly connected with rod 26 by means of bolts 27; said rod 26 having its end 28'pivoted by means of pin 29 on member 30 freely rotatable on bushing 31 integral with pin 25. At the end of pin 25 a second bushing 32 is mounted on which a connecting member 33 is freely rotatable. Element 33 comprises a hollow cylindrical portion enclosing bushing 32, a flat surface 35, a rib 36 and an end projection 37 fixed by means of bolts 38 to a member 39 fixed, in turn, by means of bolts 40, to a plate 41. Plate 41 having the shape of an inverted U, is provided with grooves 42, 43, 44 and 45 engaged by pins 46, 47, 48 and 49, respectively. Said pins are used to control retractable blades 50 and 51 located under plate 41. Pin 46 is connected at one end to retractable blade 50, and at the other end to an arm of an L-shaped lever 53 free to oscillate about pin 54 fastened to plate 41. The other end of lever 53 is fixed to a block 56 having one end 57 integral with shank 58 of piston 59 fastened to flat surface 35 of member 33 by means of screw 60. An L-shaped plate 141 is fixed to cylinder 59, and a microswitch MS9 is fixed to said plate 141 and has a lever 142 carrying a wheel 143 engaging end 57 of block 56. In FIG. 3 microswitch MS9 is denoted as MS8 to render the wiring diagram clearer, which will be described hereinafter. A pin 62 is fixed at the other end of block 56; on said pin the other end of lever 53 is pivoted. Said pin 65 is connected with a lever member 67 freely rotatable at 68. Said member 67 has an end integral with pin 48, and the other one connected with a rod 69 by means of pin 70. Rod 69 has at its other end a slot 71 engaged by a pin 72 fixed at the end of an L-shaped lever 73 free to rotate in 74, and the other end of said lever 73 is connected to a rod 75 by means of pin 76. One end of said rod 75 has a slot 77 engaged by a pin 78 of plate 41 acting as a guide for said rod. Pin 65 is also connected with rod 168 pivoted at 169 together with rod 170 integral with retractable blade 51 located under plate 41.

Slots 71 on rod 69 have the function of retarding operation of blades 79 relative to blades 50 and 51, in order to realize a proper folding of the patch pocket.

As is seen in FIG. 2, pin 72 of lever 73 is actuated by rod 69 driven by rod 64 following the period necessary for said pin 72 to cover the slot length during the relative movement between the foregoing elements.

Another bushing 80 is mounted on pin 25 and on said bushing 80 a second connecting member 81 is freely rotatable. Said connecting member 81 comprises a hollow cylindrical crown, a flat surface 83, a rib 84, an arc-shaped vertical portion 85 connected in 86 with pneumatic cylinder 87 (FIG. 1) and a horizontal arc-shaped portion Member 81 has, at one end, a tab 89 (FIG. 4) on which member 91 is free to rotate at and is fixed by means of bolts 92 to a rectangular plate 93 which comprises the upper part of patch pocket clamp 121. A spring 94 placed in an opening 95 of member 81, acting on surface 96 of member 91, causes a downward rotation of said member 91 around pin 90, pressing plate 93 on the patch pocket during sewing of the latter.

A bolt 97 on rib 84, fastens a plate 98 to lower surface of member 81. Microswitch M85 is fixed to said plate 98 (FIG. 4) by means of bolts 99. Said microswitch M55 has a piston 101 on which rod 102 of a pneumatic cylinder 103 acts; said cylinder 103 being connected by means of bolts 104 to an element 105 fixed in turn to a member 106 (FIG. 2) comprising a flat surface 107, ribs 108, a hollow cylindrical portion 109 which is fixed to pin 25 by means of screws 1 10, and a vertical portion 111 integral with a pneumatic cylinder 112 (FIG. 4). Rod 102 of cylinder 103 has fixed to its end 113 by means of screw 114 a block 115 from which two shafts 1 16 project perpendicularly to rod 102. A blade 118 is fastened to said block 115 by means of a bolt 117, said blade 118 being placed between plates 119 and 120 forming the lower part of clamp 121. Blade 118 has a hole 122 to prevent breaking of needle 14 of sewing machine 1 1, when device 12 is in its rest position with clamp 121 in the raised position of FIG. 4, this corresponding to the work loading position. Plates 119 and 120 are joined together by means of rods 123. Plate 119 is connected with block 124 fixed to member 105 by means of bolts 127. Surface 128 of said plate 126 is in contact with screw 129 fixed to a hollow cylindrical body 130 enclosing shaft 116 and can slide along the axis of said shaft 1 16 against the action of a return spring. Blade is fixed to said cylindrical body 130 by means of screws 139 and is placed between plates 119 and 120 of clamp 121.

As will be described more in detail hereinafter, when rod 113 of cylinder 103 moves righward in FIG. 4, block 115 in its displacement carries forward central blade 118 acting to fold the pocket bottom and pushes sideways blades 140 provided to fold the two pocket edges because cylindrical bodies 130, moving rightward (FIGS. 2 and 3) together with shafts 116 fixed to block 115 carry their screws 129 along inclined surfaces 128 of plates 126 allowing the springs to recoil outward the cylinders 130 and the blades 140 which are fixed thereto.

Rib 36 of member 33 rigidly connected to plate 41 has at one end a projection 52 with which a pneumatic cylinder 131 is connected by means of a rod 164 (FIG. 1).

At its other end, rib 36 has a second projection 55 (FIGS. 2 and 4) which is fixed, by means of bolts 132, member 133 carrying, on its central part, a knob 134 suitable to set, by means of pin 135, resting on surface 107 of member 106, the height of blades 118, 140 of clamp 121 relative to blades 50, 51 and 79 ofplate 41.

Rotation of knob 134 in one sense provides an axial displacement of pin 135, said pin acting on surface 107 of element 106 pushing it downward, together with clamp 121 connected with it, against the action of a return spring not shown, carrying said clamp up again, when knob 134 is caused to rotate in an opposite sense.

A microswitch MS4, whose piston 100 is actuated by flat surface 107 of member 106, is locked by means of screws 138 on a plate 136, fixed in turn to member 133 by means of bolts 137. The function of said member will be described hereinafter.

' With reference to FIG. 5, magnetic template 13 has an upper flat surface 144 on which plate 145 is fixed, said plate having two microswitches M52 and M83 fixed to it by means of screws 146. Blades 147 of said microswitches M52 and M83 are in contact with bolts 148 fixed to one end of rods 149. Pins 151 carrying, at one end, wheels 152, free to rotate, are fixed to the other end of rods 149 by means of bolts 150. Rods 149 can oscillate around pins 153; said oscillations are restricted on the one hand by microswitches M52 and MS3 and on the other hand by members 154 having holes 155 in which bolts 156 are engaged, to allow regulation of the oscillations of rods 149. A microswitch MS! is fixed to a plate 157 by means of screws 158. Said plate 157 has a hole 159 in which bolt 160 is engaged, fixing said plate 157 to plate 145. A member 162 is also fixed by means of bolts 161 onto surface 144 of magnetic template 13. An electromagnet E, from which a shaft 165 having a pin 166 projects, is fixed onto the central portion of member 162. A return spring 167 is placed between said pin I66 and electromagnet E.

The device according to the invention has a combined electro-pneumatic actuation means and its operation will be described hereinafter with reference to the electrical layout of FIGS. 6 and 7 and the pneumatic circuit of FIG. 8.

The sewing machine is driven by an electric motor provided with automatic means for driving and stopping the machine with the needle in a pre-determined position and for trimming the threads at the end of the operating cycle, according to means well known in the art of the type called Quick stop motor." The motor and its respective automatic devices, not shown in the attached drawings are amply described in Italian Pat. No. 748,086 which is incorporated by reference for an understanding of the operation of the machine.

Starting with the machine at rest and the main switch opened, switches are in the condition shown in the electrical layout of FIGS. 6 and 7. When the operator closes the machine main switch, not shown in the layout, remote control switches T1, T4, T7 and main inlet solenoid valve EV are excited, so that their respective branches are energized after the carrying out of this first actuation. Remote control switch T1, being excited, closes its contacts :1 in the branches of remote control switches T1, T8, T9, T10, T12, and opens contacts :1 in the branches of remote control switches T2, T9, T12, T13, T14 on the branches of solenoid valves EVl and EV2.

All the switches located in various shunts of the same branch are to be considered as belonging to a same circuit branch.

Contacts :1 in the branch of solenoid valves EVl and EV2 open thereby de-exciting said solenoid valves which, being of the type NO (normally open) now allow compressed air to flow to cylinders 131 and 87 (FIG. 1) and the consequent raising of plate 41 and clamp 121.

The operator now pushes pushbutton P.V.L. placed on the branch of remote control switch T10 which becomes excited thereby closing its contacts r10 in the branches of remote control switches T10 (self-excitation) and T15 and in the branches of solenoid valves EV3 and EV4 and opens its contact :10 in the branch of remote control switch Tl. Owing to the closing of contact :10 in the branch of solenoid valve EV4, the last one, being of the NC type (normally closed), becomes excited and allows compressed air to flow to cylinder 103 (FIG. 4) which actuates the withdrawal of blades 1 18 and 140 located between plates 119 and of clamp 121 (FIG. 2).

With the closing of contact r10 in the branch of remote control switch T15, the latter is excited closing its self-excitation contact :15 located in the branch of remote control switch T15 and its contact 115 in the branch of solenoid valve EV6 (NC).

Solenoid valve EV6, by its opening lets air flow to cylinder 1 12 (FIG. 4), which will keep clamp 121 raised when cylinder 87 is deactivated.

Fabric onto which a patch pocket is to be sewn is now positioned on plate 24 and the pocket is placed between plates 93 and 119 of clamp 121 (FIG. 4) with the help of suitable reference marks provided on said members and not shown in the drawings. The operator then actuates push-button P1 in the branch of remote control switch T8 which becomes excited and changes over its contacts :8 closing them in the branches of remote control switches T3, T8, T9, T13 and in the branches of solenoid valves EVl and EV3 and opens them in the branch of remote control switch T10.

Solenoid valve EVl (NO) becomes excited and closes off air flow to cylinder 87; plate 93, no longer kept in its raised position, lowers onto plate 119 locking the patch pocket onto it. Contact t8 in the branch of remote control switch T9, closes and excites with a certain delay, owing to the thermistor Tel, said remote control switch T9 and causes contacts 19 to close in the branches of remote control switches T3, '19, T13 and in the branches of solenoid valves EV2 and EV3 and causes contact :9 to open in the branch of remote control switch T10. Owing to this changing-over, solenoid valve EV2 (NO) becomes excited and closes off air flow to cylinders 131; member 33, no longer kept in its raised position, lowers until pin (FIG. 4) connected with knob 134 carried by member 133, rests on fiat surface 107 of member 106 in such a way as to carry plate 41 to the same height as clamp 121. Lowering of member 33 causes microswitch M84 to close in the branch of remote control switch T13 and results in the energization of the branch of delay relay USS which becomes excited closes its contact ass in the branch of solenoid valve EV3 (NC). Said valve by becoming excited, opens air flow to cylinders 59 which actuate blades 50, 51 and 79, which in cooperation with blades 1 18 and of clamp 121, fold the patch pocket. Rods 58 of cylinders 59, by their movement, change over microswitches MS8 and M89 in the branch of remote control switch T4, deexciting the latter.

Owing to the deexcitation of remote control switch T4, contact :4 opens in the branch of remote control switch T13 and contact :4 closes in the branch of delay relay USl, thereby exciting it.

Contact usl in the branch of remote control switch T15 opens deexciting said remote control switch. Contact :15 of remote control switch T15 in the branch of solenoid valve EV6 opens and said solenoid valve closes off air flow to cylinder 1 12 thus causing the lowering of plate 41 and of clamp 121.

Contact usl by its closing in the branch of remote control switch T11 causes, with a certain delay due to the presence of themiistor Te, remote control switch T11 to excite when lowering of plate 41 onto clamp 121 has already taken place and consequently contacts :1 1 close in the branches of remote control switches T11, T12, T13 and contact t11 opens in the branch of remote control switch T10.

Said remote control switch T10 deexcites and opens its contact :10 in the branch of solenoid valve EV3 which deexcites causing blades 50, 51 and 79 to re-enter (by the actuation of double-acting type cylinders 59). Also contact t opens in the branch of solenoid valve EV4 and solenoid valve EV4 deexcites and causes, by means of cylinder 103, blades 118 and 140 to re-enter.

When the re-entering blades of clamp 121 reenter, rod 102 of pneumatic cylinder 103 presses microswitch MS5 which closes and excites remote control switch T5 closing its contact IS in the branch in series with branches of remote control switches T12 and T13, and opens its contacts t5 in the branches of remote control switches T8 and T9 which however remain self-excited by means of their contacts, :8 and [9.

Closing of contact t5 in the branch of remote control switch T12 causes said .remote control switch T12 to excite and close contacts 112 in the branches of remote control switches T12 and T13 and in the branch of solenoid valve EV5. Said solenoid valve EV5 is actuated to deliver compressed air to double-acting type cylinder 174 (FIG, 8), which causes plate 24 to rise (work supporting plate) in order to allow the pocket clamping'and folding device 12 to position itself under needle 14 in such a way as to make possible the beginning of the sewing of the patch pocket onto the shirt front. Raising of plate 24 causes microswitch MS6 to open and microswitch MS7 to close, said microswitches being located in correspondence with the trajectory of the longitudinal edges of the same plate.

Microswitch MS6 deexcites remote control switch T7 changing over its contacts r7.

The closing of microswitch MS7 causes remote control switch T6 to excite and close its contact t6 in the branch of remote control switch T13.

At this point of the cycle, the operator actuates the feed starting push-button having a first contact on the remote control switch T30 and a second one on remote control switch T13. Remote control switch T30 excites and closes its contacts 2:30 in the branch of remote control switch T13 which becomes excited.

The contacts in the branch of remote control switch T13 are all closed and said remote control switch T13 excites closing its contacts 213, three of which are in the three phase feed line of the feed motor (not shown in the layout) and by their changing over they actuate the feed motor driving the shaft 22 along walls 23 of the magnetic template 13. The other two contacts t13 which close are in the branch of remote control switch T13 for the self-excitation of the same and in the branch of electromagnet E. Owing to the excitation of electromagnet E, shaft 22 frees itself from its rest position of FIG, 5. Remote control switch T13 also actuates the feed motor so that shaft 22 begins its movement thereby dragging the pocket clamping and folding device 12 (FIG. 1).

As soon as shaft 22 moves away from its rest position, it opens microswitch M51 and when it comes into contact with wheel 152 it by means of the lever system previously described closes microswitch MS2 in the branch of remote control switch T2. Said remote control switch T2, by its excitation, closes its contacts :2 in branches T2, to cause self-excitation, in the branches of T14 and T13 and opens its contacts :2 in the branches of remote control switches T11, T12 and T13 and in the branch of electromagnet E, whose rod 165 consequently comes back to its position of FIG. 5. At the opening of contact t2 in the branch of remote control switch T11, said remote control switch T1 1 deexcites opening its contact t1 1 in the branch of remote control switch T12. By virtue of the deexcitation of remote control switch T12 contact :12 opens in the branch of solenoid valve EV5 which changes over in order to deliver compressed air in correspondence with the other inlet of the double-acting type cylinder 174. This cylinder causes plate 24 to lower which, by its movement, opens microswitch MS2 deexciting remote control switch T6 and closes microswitch MS6 exciting remote control switch T7. Contact :7 in the branch of remote control switch T14 closes and said remote control switch T14 excites, all the other contacts in its branch being closed.

A contact 114 of remote control switch T14 is provided in the branch of the electromagnetic clutch, not shown, of the group Quick stop motor" and by its closing excites said clutch consequently actuating the sewing machine which begins the sewing cycle.

Another contact :14 is provided in the branch of the delayed action relays U52 and U83 and closes by virtue of the excitation of the remote control switch T14.

The machine continues sewing as long as the pocket clamping and folding device 12 and driving shaft rigidly connected to it have almost entirely covered the fixed trajectory. When shaft 22 has come near wheel 152 (FIG. 5 it interferes with it and, through the system of levers 151, 149 and 149, closes microswitch M53 in the branch of remote control switch T3.

Excitation of remote control switch T3 causes contacts :3 to close in its branches, for self-excitation of same remote control switch T3, in the branches of delayed action relay US6, of remote control switch T13 and of the zero-setting relay.

On the contrary contacts t3 open in the branches of remote control switches T2, T8, T9, T12, T13. Contact :2 in the branch of remote control switch T1 1 opens and deexcites said remote control switch T1 1 by changing-over contacts :1 1.

When contact 23 is closed in the U56 circuit energization of said relay U86 and closing of its contact 1456 take place and the following energization of remote control switch T12 changing over its own contacts and particularly closes contact :2 in the circuit of solenoid valve EV5. Solenoid valve EV5 energizes and operates double-acting type cylinder 174 in such a way that it actuates raising of work supporting plate 24 in order to position pocket clamping and folding device 12 in its rest position. Raising of work supporting plate 24 causes microswitch M86 to open and microswitch MS7 to close.

This last movement causes clutch deenergization which actuates the sewing machine starting. Shaft 22 continues its movement until the position of FIG. 5 to close microswitch MSl re-establishing cycle end conditions described hereinbefore; that is: it disconnects the feed motor, not shown, and raises clamp 121 and plate 41 to free the sewn workpiece.

With reference to FIG. 8, air flow coming from the main air line passes through control and adjustment members generally indicated at 171 and, through general solenoid valve EV to air receiver 173 into communication with solenoid valves EV1, EV2, EV3, EV4 and EV5. Regulators 176 are provided downward of said solenoid valves.

By means of said air flow passage regulators particular delay effects can be obtained between two operations simultaneously actuated by a same electrical signal as it takes place in the operation of folding blade previously described. In fact, in order to avoid undoing of the already made edge owing to the plates re-entering, it is advisable to first cause outside plates 50, 51 and 79 to re-enter and subsequently the inside ones and 1 18.

In order to obtain said effect it is necessary to reduce air flow to cylinder 103 which actuates operation of blades 140 and 118.

Port manifolds have been indicated at and are provided to feed actuating cylinders already described hereinbefore. Valve 177 is fed by a port manifold 175 and it is opened, at the end of the pocket sewing cycle, by raising of work clamp driving actuator 178. Air flow through valve 177 reaches hose 179 in which holes 180 are provided near the shirt front which will be blown off from the work place and conveyed to a suitable container.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for automatically sewing patch pockets onto shirt fronts and the like, comprising: a movable patch pocket clamping and folding device, a guide system for determining a path of movement for said device, said system comprising a template having a path-defining contour and a follower arranged to travel along said contour, magnetic means adhering said follower to said contour, means connecting said follower to said device whereby movements of said follower along said contour are transmitted to said device, said device comprising respective first and second blade series for folding a patch pocket, said second series comprising two blades for forming the side edges of a patch pocket, another blade for forming the pocket lower edge, and another two blades for smoothing the lower sides of the pocket, a single drive means for actuating all the aforementioned first and second series of blades, said drive means comprising two pistons operating in respective cylinders, piston rods connected to said pistons and driving a system of levers which in turn is drivingly connected with said first and second blade series, said system of levers being so connected with the blades of said first and second blade series that the last mentioned two blades for smoothing the pocket sides are delay-actuated relative to the actuation of all the other aforementioned blades.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lever system includes slots in respective members and pins on other members engaged in said slots, said piton rods being drivingly connected to said members through the engagement of said pins in said slots, there being a clearance between the pins and the slot walls which clearance results in a lag in the movement of certain ones of said members relative to the commencement of movement of said pistons.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, including means to adjust the height of one of said blades series relative to the other, in

order to accommodate different fabrics, a one of said blade series being rotatably mounted to alter its height relative to the other blade series, spring means urging the rotatable blade series to one position about its rotative axis, a hand knob arranged to rotate the rotatable blade series against the urging of said spring means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said first blade series comprising a central blade for folding the lower end of the pocket and two side blades for folding the pocket sides, said central blade being directly connected to a said piston rod while said side blades are connected to two sliding cylinders, which in turn are slidably mounted on two guide rails, said guide rails being rigidly mounted on said piston rod, said guide rails providing a sliding path for said side blades perpendicular to the path of movement of said central blade, said sliding cylinders being forced to slide in one direction on said rails by a return spring and being forced to slide in the opposite direction by fixed abutment means. 

1. An apparatus for automatically sewing patch pockets onto shirt fronts and the like, comprising: a movable patch pocket clamping and folding device, a guide system for determining a path of movement for said device, said system comprising a template having a path-defining contour and a follower arranged to travel along said contour, magnetic means adhering said follower to said contour, means connecting said follower to said device whereby movements of said follower along said contour are transmitted to said device, said device comprising respective first and second blade series for folding a patch pocket, said second series comprising two blades for forming the side edges of a patch pocket, another blade for forming the pocket lower edge, and another two blades for smoothing the lower sides of the pocket, a single drive means for actuating all the aforementioned first and second series of blades, said drive means comprising two pistons operating in respective cylinders, piston rods connected to said pistons and driving a system of levers which in turn is drivingly connected with said first and second blade series, said system of levers being so connected with the blades of said first and second blade series that the last mentioned two blades for smoothing the pocket sides are delay-actuated relative to the actuation of all the other aforementioned blades.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lever system includes slots in respective members and pins on other members engaged in said slots, said piton rods being drivingly connected to said members through the engagement of said pins in said slots, there being a clearance between the pins and the slot walls which clearance results in a lag in the movement of certain ones of said members relative to the commencement of movement of said pistons.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, including means to adjust the height of one of said blades series relative to the other, in order to accommodate different fabrics, a one of said blade series being rotatably mounted to alter its height relative to the other blade series, spring means urging the rotatable blade series to one position about its rotative axis, a hand knob arranged to rotate the rotatable blade series against the urging of said spring means.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, said first blade series comprising a central blade for folding the lowEr end of the pocket and two side blades for folding the pocket sides, said central blade being directly connected to a said piston rod while said side blades are connected to two sliding cylinders, which in turn are slidably mounted on two guide rails, said guide rails being rigidly mounted on said piston rod, said guide rails providing a sliding path for said side blades perpendicular to the path of movement of said central blade, said sliding cylinders being forced to slide in one direction on said rails by a return spring and being forced to slide in the opposite direction by fixed abutment means. 